Chinese FM meets Rumsfeld on Sino-US ties
Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing on Tuesday exchanged views with US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Sino-US
relations and on military exchanges between the two countries.
Li said the two countries have achieved new progress in cooperation with economy and trade as well as in anti-terrorism,
and have had fruitful consultations on major international and regional issues.
The Chinese side is pleased with the increasing exchanges between the armies of the two countries, and is willing, on an
equal and mutually beneficial footing, to tackle differences and enhance exchanges and cooperation with the US side in
various fields, the Chinese foreign minister said.
Rumsfeld said he is looking forward to the forthcoming visit by Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan to the United
States next month.
He said the US Defense Department is willing to make efforts to promote the stable and healthy development of Sino-US
relations.
The Chinese foreign minister on Tuesday also met US congressional leaders and leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee and the House International Relations Committee on Sino-US trade and economic relations, the nuclear issue on
the Korean Peninsula and other issues.
China and the United States, which shoulder responsibilities in maintaining peace, stability and development in the
Asia-Pacific region as well as across the world and share wide-ranging common interests, should respect each other and
enhance cooperation, the Chinese foreign minister said.